Phoenix Rising
by Kara-Meir
Summary: Precursor to the Biotic, Kassie wakes up in the distant future. Hunted by her Cerberus captors for her powers, she tries to make sense of this new world. Help arrives in the form of the crew on The Normandy, a family Kassie finally belongs to. Will she find a place to fit in in this strange new world? Will the phoenix rise again?
1. Awakening

**Wow! It's been over a year since I last posted and two since I put this story on here. It took awhile, but I'm back and ready to rumble. I shifted the focus of the beginning around as I completely did not like what I had up and it felt like a rush job just to have something to post. So I rewrote everything I had and that** **is**** what you see here now.**

**I hope you like the new Phoenix Rising, and don't be afraid to tell me how you feel. Oh and if anything seems a little off or wrong about some details down below, I used Google to fill in the blanks of my knowledge and make it better.**

Her lungs were on fire. Breathe coming in ragged gasps straining to take in air. Muscles trembling to carry out the task currently underway. Cold pinpricks, like fire burning as if it were ice reborn, strike hard at straining muscles up and down both thighs. Unfortunately, those slight irritations were the least of her problems. She should be more worried about escaping the duo of voracious bloodsuckers hunting her down. _As if I could think of anything else at the moment. _She snorts pathetically at that particular thought. From the sounds of amused laughter they didn't give her a very high estimate of succeeding. Not much sport in a pathetic human. Ugly bastards were suited up in full armor so now as usual she couldn't get a good look at them, not that she would want to. Something was… off about them. Not just in the way they walked and talked but their body shapes as well. There were only two of them she ever saw, not knowing if it was due to her status or the fact she was always blindfolded except when it was time to eat and food delivered to wherever they were holding her captive. One was small, light on its feet but the way it moved, the way it _was_, felt wrong. There was also something about how the armor was shaped around its body that didn't feel quite human. She couldn't fathom what else it could be but something told her it was true.

The other one however, was the complete opposite. A giant being well over seven feet tall and so large it could barely fit through the door whenever it accompanied its partner to bring her meals. Unless it was the armor on its back that caused the distortion there was an enormous hump located between its shoulders. That one she feared more than the smaller one as at any moment it could crush her like a grape without even breaking a sweat. She didn't know why they were holding her captive, couldn't remember much about who she was or where she came from except her name and… _gifts_ before waking up in some cryo-pod, like the ones you heard about people stuffing their dead relatives in to bring them back when technology advanced enough.

They moved her a lot from place to place, never staying very long before jetting off to the next destination. They never let her out of her holding area either, preferring to keep her locked up except when transferring her to another cell. They never talked either, gesturing whenever they wanted her to comply with whatever it was they had her do. It was always silent in there, a monotonous existence without entertainment. She was always bored, and slept as much as possible. After a while sleep became her constant companion and only source of escape from the dreary tediousness that was now her life.

Then one day, everything changed. They took her out of the cell she had been in for who knows how long and into a warehouse of some kind. Most likely it was yet another transfer to yet another holding cell to continue the cycle. She couldn't wait. But then, they made a mistake. An extremely costly mistake, one she took full advantage of. They had for once neglected to blindfold her the way they usually did when taking her anywhere beyond her cell. She had grinned internally and started formulating a quick plan of escape. It wasn't much to look at being made on the fly but if it got here way from them she didn't care. Taking a deep breath she had centered her mind the way she practiced when not sleeping. It had been a way to pass the time and also to get her gifts back up to speed, never knowing when she might be able to use them to her advantage. It would have been a fruitless venture to try anything beforehand, not knowing where she was or if there was even a way off whatever transport they had her on.

Gathering her breath she started to hum, low vibrations at first, then bringing it louder and louder the more they'd walked her into the warehouse. One shook its head as if an angry bee were buzzing about, hoping to clear up the noise. It didn't help. The humming reached a frenzied pitch, screeching, almost too high to hear but loud enough inside their minds to cause excruciating pain, and an automatic reflex of dropping whatever was in their grip, holding their heads, screaming in silent agony. She had been waiting for precisely this moment to happen. Pushing off with one foot she bolted forward away from her captors, running as fast as her slightly atrophied muscles could take her. There hadn't been much room to exercise in her cell, an action she so desperately regretted being the one chink in her plan that could bring it crashing down.

Shipping containers blocked nearly every square inch of space this place could offer. It was large enough across that she couldn't see to the far end. The second chink started creaking in protest. No matter, it still wouldn't stop her. Walkways appeared every so often between the behemoth piles stretching to the ceiling. Some near the top looked like a stiff wind would send them toppling over to crush the unwary pedestrian down below. Cranes moved about taking containers from seemingly random piles and placing them on other random piles. The nonstop motion had no discernible pattern that she could see other than taking and giving. They were fully automated machines with nary a living soul in sight. Chink number three screeched loud and clear.

Spotting a large container on the ground she speeds behind it, crashing into the solid metal walls and flinging herself against them in an effort to take a breather and survey the situation at hand. Hopefully the duo were still too wrapped up in her little harmony to be able to come after her. Peeking around the corner of the container she curses under her breath when she sees that they seemed to have recovered (enough to grab their weapons and point them in her general direction) and are walking slowly forward, scanning every possible nook and cranny that she could possibly hide in. Just her luck, the attack would run out faster in her weakened state. If looks could kill, she was sure they would have killed her a thousand times over by now underneath all that armor. They're holding what look like modified versions of a shotgun, crammed with all sorts of gadgets and technological crap that looks like something pulled straight from Star Wars. The large behemoth starts speaking, shocking her with the deepness its voice held. Gravel in a blender would have been less surprising.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are little human! You can't escape us. I have orders to bring you in alive, but they didn't say it had to be in one piece. Run all you want, I enjoy a little hunting before I capture my prey." The growling echoes around the warehouse walls, reaching her hiding spot and spiking her panic levels even higher.

_My name is Kassie you dolt. The moment you think you re-capture me is the moment your life flashes before your eyes._

Her heart skips a beat, struggling to slow down enough to keep its vessel alive. Not surprisingly the smaller of her two pursuers seems content to let the bigger one do all the talking, creating an illusion of who was in charge. She wouldn't put it past it to be the brains behind the brawn to keep their victims guessing 'til the last moment possible.

Kassie spots a set of doors at the far end of the warehouse opening up to receive an automatic delivery of yet more shipping containers. They stay open for thirty seconds afterwards and then shut close slowly. A light above the door turns from green to red when they shut, signaling nothing is coming through, at least for the moment. Watching this process happen several times while still keeping an eye behind her, she formulates a plan. A short, hare-brained scheme but a plan nonetheless. If she can make it to those doors and out the other side she may just have a chance at evading the cells again and finding a better place to hide than some deserted warehouse. Hopefully there would be some sort of escape route to said hiding place and not more warehouse.

Before she can put anything into motion she hears a slightly metallic *click* coming from behind her and dread creeps up her spine. That didn't sound good. It sounded a little bit like… the shotgun! He (she was assuming by the deep voice that it was a he) wasn't kidding when he said he liked to hunt his… prey. Prey meaning her. She was about to be one dead cookie if she didn't do something now! Her eyes were wide open in a heart pounding daze at the thought of injury and further captivity. She spots something lying on a toolbox in front of her, a deck of cards somebody left behind. _So there are people in this place. My luck we came in during a shift change._

She darts to the deck and grabs it in her hands. Thinking quickly she throws it in any direction but forward, hoping it sails swiftly through the air and hits something. She murmurs an apology to the owner of the cards and prepares to run. Ten seconds later she hears a faint thud as the cards hit their mark, landing somewhere unseen but generating enough noise to produce a distraction. The small thud peaks the interest of her pursuers as she can sense their shift in focus to the echo. The big one laughs and mutters gotcha before they both head off to what they think is Kassie. A shot rings out in that general direction and before you can say Han Solo she is racing towards the doors to freedom. Her ragged breathing threatens to morph into a bout of hyperventilating if she didn't get out and soon. As if much could be done to speed up the process other than to suddenly sprout wings and fly.

_Maybe someday if I can get out of here. _

The delivery doors flash from red to green and start to open at their mediocre pace. _Somebody should fix those things_ flies through her stamina-strapped brain as she bolts towards them faster and faster. Just a few…more…feet…

Metal sparks fly to her left as the shotgun is unloaded in her vicinity. _Shit. The cards didn't work as well as I'd hoped. _The big behemoth keeps firing at her from atop a container while the smaller one waits for the lulls to shoot. She tries to run faster but her stamina is failing. It's a hard enough chore to keep up the current speed let alone increase it. Calming her mind once again she flings up protection in hopes of stopping any buckshot that makes it. Praying for the notorious unreliability of shotguns at a far range she continues onward. That is until the big guy leaps off of the container and onto the warehouse floor behind her. _Fuck. Me. _

The closer range works for the creature's advantage in that it can now aim better and have a greater chance at hitting its target. One last shot is sent her way… partially hitting its mark. The shield does as good a job as it can considering her strength but it isn't enough to completely stop any buckshot making it through. It slams into her right shoulder at an alarming pace and flings her forwards through the doors onto a balcony of sorts, the opening the shipping containers come through. She hits the railing and screams in pain as it hits her wounds and causes blood to decorate the floor beneath her. Kassie sees her pursuers getting closer in-between the flashes of sight and struggles to stand. Turning around, she recoils in disbelief. What she saw was not anything created by man from her basic knowledge of architecture. This, this was science fiction come to life.

Flying cars filled the sky above her, while a smooth flowing river lay below. Levels upon levels of pure white curving walls interspersed with plant life made up the scenery. The bustling sounds of shoppers going about their day reached her ears, shouting and merry-making floating about on the breeze. She couldn't believe what was before her very eyes and yet, there it was. Plain as day and twice as harsh. This had to be a fever dream…or…or… something not this! It was completely overwhelming but the second-most of her current problems. The duo were still coming for her and she had nowhere to go but down. Down to whatever that was she saw.

Glancing behind her and cradling her right arm in her left she made a decision. A stupid one, and yet the smartest thing she would do that day. Backing up to the open doors and taking a deep breath, she ran. Straight toward the railing, toward the river, and jumped.


	2. Meeting New Friends

Kaidan Alenko was not a happy man. The hot water in his apartment had run out that morning right in the middle of his after workout shower. To his dying day he would deny that he shrieked loud enough to wake the dead when he fell out of the way of the icy cold hands of hell. He had finished in record time after that. Getting dressed had been easy considering today was one of his rare moments of downtime. He was starting it off with in his opinion, the best sim-coffee this side of Council Space at the Apollo Café on the Presidium. Whenever he had the time before work, or on days like today, he would always stop for a cup of coffee to start the day off. He had started the tradition of a morning coffee back when he had first entered the Alliance, as many people did, but it hadn't really taken off until… until he met Shepard. God, he still couldn't even _think_ her name without a dagger piercing what was left of his broken heart. A year and a half after the attack still felt like yesterday's beginning. He was slowly coming to terms with the constant, everyday pain. The guilt he felt for leaving her behind, for simply _surviving, _was hard to set aside. There were many who died on the _Normandy__, _but also many who had survived same as him. It would be a lifelong battle to recover, one he was taking a step at a time. He knew he had to move on, _needed _to move on, and was willing to try. Time heals all wounds, and his were still blood and raw.

He was planning on meeting up with friends later, dinner at a nice restaurant on one of the Wards. He was almost looking forwards to it, a chance to escape the ghosts and catch up on old times. It would be good to go out for once instead of holing up in his apartment and re-watching old Blasto vids. He was also a bit hesitant to go as well, his friends had been trying to set him up with a doctor from Huerta Memorial for the past couple months. He was thinking about going just to get them off of his back and say he at least met with the man. Didn't mean anything had to happen after that. Don't get him wrong, it was a nice gesture on their part, but was he ready? Only one way to find out.

He set down his empty coffee cup a few minutes after his bout of internal reflecting and paid the bill, intending to go back to his apartment to check on the hot water situation and to mentally prepare for the night to come. At least, that has been the plan. He started hearing a strange buzzing sound not long after he paid his bill and was preparing to leave. It sounded almost like… bees? Bees? That made no sense what would bees be doing on the Citadel of all places. He shook his head, clearing the noise from his ears and mentally making a note to cut down on the sugar in his coffee. Kaidan froze when he heard the gunshot ring out from up above him on the Presidium, somewhere in the levels that held the warehouses for this area of the Citadel and the shops nearby. Dinner it seemed, would have to wait. He stood stock still, listening for anything that would clue him into what had happened. Minutes later another shot rang out, this time much closer. The cafe patrons that hadn't heard the first shot or didn't know what it was startled at the second shot. Most sat there confused, unsure of what it still was or what to do in a scenario like this. Kaidan knew, he had been in too many similar situation to count. First things first, ensure the safety of the civilian population and evacuate them to a safer area.

The piercing screams that came moments after the second gunshot startled the comatose people into action and out of their daze. Kaidan gestured for them to clear the area calmly but quickly. He cursed leaving his sidearm at home today, even though it was Alliance issued he still felt naked walking around without it strapped to his side. In the middle of this he noticed movement near the third level above his head. A human female at the railing, looking like she'd seen a ghost. A feeling he knew all too well considering his line of work. She stares at the view in front of her, breathing heavily, like she'd just run a marathon and hadn't processed her body had stopped. Looking a little out of touch with the scenery, she trembles with what he could only describe as confusion mixed with a healthy dose of fear. Snapping out of whatever held her mind, she disappears back beyond the view of the railing, only to reappear a moment later. Before he could even blink, she had jumped over the railing and into the river below. Kaidan let out a long sigh before he started moving. Today was going to be a long day.

Kassie was scared of heights. The first thought to flash through her head after jumping and of course it was about the height. Time seemed to both speed up and slow down, the water hurtling ever closer, but the way it moved, the sparkle shining off the surface as she fell, and the lazy flow of the river, were moving at a maddening pace.

The force of the impact almost knocked her out, and the subsequent shock almost killed her. The water was colder than expected, a new sensation to build upon the sensory overload cumulating in her senses. She wasn't prepared for the pain that would shatter through her at an alarming rate, the worst of it in her injured arm. It was all but useless, bleeding and hurting as it was. She couldn't use it to help her swim for the surface, and trying to use one arm in this situation was working as well as ice cubes on the sun. Water invaded her lungs, pushing every ounce of sweet oxygen contained within out to make its claim on the beleaguered organs. Her strength had fled, legs unable to make any motion or attempt for the surface. She was fading fast, much faster than she would have ever expected. Kassie could see the sunlight streaming down to her, a halo of light shining around her floating hair. Her vision was dimming, slowly fading to the inevitable black that would soon consume her. She had never really thought about how she would one day die, thinking in her inexperienced youth that it would be many years before any inkling of such a tragedy would come to pass. It was funny really, she was born to water, and to water she would return. Life has a way of doing that to you, leaving one last taste before the end.

A deep splash next to her pinged on her oxygen deprived brain, moments before she knew she'd become unconscious. Strong arms drew her into their grasp, holding her close as they made towards the surface. When they broke to the sweet relief of air, Kassie knew somewhere there had to be a guardian angel watching out for her. Her rescuer took them both to shore, pushing her onto the ledge to safety before hauling themselves out of the water. They hit her back hard, once, twice, three times before she rolled over and vomited out an obscene amount of liquid. Her vision blurry, all she could see were a pair of warm whiskey-brown eyes staring down at her stormy-greys. She held up one arm, her good arm, and pulled him close.

Whispering in his ear she told him, "Don't let them take me back."

**So what did you think? I hope all good things as I always do. I do have to say I had way too much sugar writing the first couple paragraphs of this chapter in Kaidan's point of view, I believe it was an 'I don't want to go to sleep yet so let's stay up and write' mood apparently**.

**If anyone can guess what fandom my username was inspired by, I may be persuaded to give you a cookie. Just one mind you! No need to go spoiling ones appetite. And as for the height of the levels on the Presidium, I'm assuming some are taller than in other parts due to** **the huge area the Presidium** **encompasses and how tall it is whenever you stroll through in-game. And I included the Apollo Café as it seemed the perfect spot for our two characters to meet and I'm assuming it would be part of the Presidium** **despite** **having first shown up in** **ME3**.


	3. Something Wicked This Way Comes

Kassie woke up to the sound of beeping and humming surrounding her on all sides. Heaviness lay about her body, a lethargic feeling that kept her from opening her eyes or moving around much at all. It was just as well, they felt like lead sheets at the moment. She could hear quite well though, having more focus to concentrate on the noise now that one of her senses was temporarily out of commission. Everything around her except the beeps and hums seemed quiet. Not the kind that would signal a place deserted, but a quiet that was the byproduct of a once busy place having settled down after a day of heavy productivity. She managed to move around a little, feeling what was underneath her body. Her searching fingers found soft cloth underneath her, and next to it, a railing? This must be a hospital bed, which meant that she had to have been taken to a hospital after she'd escaped. Her foolishly daring plan had actually paid off!

After a while, she finally had the energy to pry open her eyes, only to immediately shut them. The lights in her room were dim, but she'd managed to look at a lamp that was placed next to her bed on a nightstand. It took several minutes before she could bring herself to open her eyes again, this time looking from the light of the lamp and around the room. She was indeed in a hospital room, equipment beeping away, the noise she'd first heard waking up. An I.V. line was inserted into her left arm, as her right was swathed in bandages from her shoulder down to her wrist. It ached horribly, but at least it was still attached. The same couldn't be said for her sanity, that was cracked and repairing in several places at the moment. Feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her after this internal reflection, Kassie closes her eyes and let's the dreams take her away.

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Kaidan went to the hospital the day after his successful rescue of the drowning girl. He wanted to check up on her to see how she was doing after all the craziness that had ensued. That and his superiors had thought it prudent to keep an eye on her, considering they'd found no identification, Omni-tool, or anything at all to tell who she was on her. Considering her injuries and what had happened yesterday Kaidan wasn't surprised at this, she seemed to have been running from someone who wouldn't make the mistake of leaving evidence on their victims. She was on the ICU floor of Huerta Memorial, after a fall like that it was best to be cautious, especially after they discovered her gunshot wound. It formed a pattern distinct to a brand of shotgun, the M-27 Scimitar, a shotgun favored by Blood Pack mercs. They were banned from Council Space, a fact he would have his superiors pass on to the Specters. She was lucky to still have the use of her arm, normally a blast like that would cause irreparable damage, likely the use of the arm itself.

He ran towards the sound of distress and came upon the sight of the girl he rescued thrashing around her hospital bed, eyes wide open in sheer terror. She was backed up against the head of the bed as far as she could go. A turian nurse had his hands out to her in a gesture meant to convey that he meant no harm and was here to help. He took a step forward towards the girl, who only screamed louder. He chirped a soothing melody, a Turian method of calming down their young and conveying a calmer atmosphere. It didn't seem to be working, she was still pressed against the wall, not taking her eyes off the nurse and following every move he made. Kaidan walked into the room slowly, signaling the nurse to switch places with him. The male looked visibly relieved, dealing with patients in distress didn't seem to be an area he was familiar with. Most likely fresh out of nursing school, he had that feel about him.

Kaidan sidled forward, hands out in front of him to show he meant no harm, hoping it would work better than it had with the other guy. His skills as a negotiator would come in handy, they certainly had during his stay on the Normandy. He was always called along on missions whenever Shepard had to deal with politicians (Udina) and he was usually on hand to talk her down from showing the pompous bastards what the color of their insides looked like. A few times, too many to count, he'd wished he had just let her go to town and not held her back (Udina again). But as not holding her back in similar situation usually caused an international incident or two, something Shepard managed to get herself into at least once a week, he refrained from doing so, amusing as it might have been. At least Anderson had gotten one in for all of them when he sucker punched Udina to get the lockdown on the Normandy lifted. Luckily there had been cameras in the Ambassador's office recording the whole thing and somehow a copy had made its way to the crew. Nobody could keep a straight face for the next week whenever the video was mentioned.

The girl had calmed down somewhat after the nurse had left the room, uncurling from her spot on the bed, but not doing much more than that. Her piercing gaze of storm grey eyes landed on his face, scanning it for any sign of a threat. It was an action he himself remembered performing many times both on and off the battlefield. They held a strange quality to them, something that was rarely seen outside the gaze of one of the Asari or Krogan. No human however, had yet reached past the age of one-hundred fifty, the newest threshold for a human lifespan. Whatever it was he saw in her eyes, Kaidan wasn't sure. It wasn't quite… human, but not alien at the same time. Considering he knew next to nothing about her, he didn't really have a lot to base his opinions on.

Other than her eyes, the next strangest thing he noticed was her hair. It was obvious when you first saw her, but looking into her eyes you instantly forgot what was in front of you to focus on their intensity and seriousness. Her hair was… interesting. It was a startling mixture of different shades of blues and purples, light and dark and everything in-between. It was almost as if someone had gathered all the skin colors of the Asari and transferred them into the hair of a human. Things just kept getting stranger the more he delved into this girl, and he hadn't asked her any questions yet. While he ran through all of this in his head the girl had come further unfurled and was actually moving down to the end of the bed. He really had to ask her name, he couldn't just keep calling her _the girl_. The I.V. in her arm didn't let her move much farther than that, and she shot it an irritated look when it tugged at the sore injection site.

Turning back to look at Kaidan she cocked her head to the side, studying him at a closer distance. She must have approved of what she saw, because after that her body language relaxed and wasn't so closed in. There was a glass of water on the table next to the bed, set there so that when she woke up and was thirsty she wouldn't have to yell for the nurse. Kaidan relaxed from his placating stance and leaned against the wall, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the nurses gathered in a huddle watching to see what was happening in the room. He subtly shook his head no, if anything went down he was capable of handling it himself. He let off a small biotic flare, a way to test the waters and see if there was any danger present. Instantly the girl's head snapped up, muscles going rigid and she growled- actually growled! - At him in response. Her grip on the glass loosened and it fell to the floor.

Kaidan attempted to grab the glass before it shattered into small pieces that would hurt if stepped upon, but before he could the glass just… stopped. It was floating in midair, just sitting there unmoving. It wouldn't be out of the norm for a Biotic to accomplish but there was nothing. No flare or corona of dark energy signaling biotic abilities had been used in front of him. His L2 implant usually tugged at his nervous system when his or others abilities were in action. He looked away to find the girl smirking at him, as if she knew something he didn't. Before he could say anything or ask what just happened the glass moved on its own… straight towards her outstretched hand. Kaidan stood there, a bit stunned to be honest. His comprehension of what was happening had gone from grasping an outline to nothing at all. It didn't make any sense.

Shaking his head he decided to put that aside for now, and focus on getting the girl to trust him. If he could get her to talk about her panic attack earlier he could get her talking about the floating glass and whispered words from the day before. If she could speak that is. Shock sometimes knocked a few screws loose. Some people shook uncontrollably, had memory loss, couldn't speak, or had panic attacks whenever another person (or alien) went near them. He'd seen it before on the battlefield and in the ER. He grabbed a chair from the corner and sat down against the wall, getting comfortable for what he was sure was going to be a long talk ahead.

"My name is Kaidan Alenko, I was the one who rescued you put of the water yesterday after you jumped. Do you remember what happened, why you jumped in the first place? Was somebody after you? You have nothing to be afraid of here, you'll be safe." The girl looked up when he started speaking and seemed to gather strength and energy before trying to speak. Her voice was rusty with disuse, as if she hadn't used it to make noise in a long time.

"They held me in a room when I woke up, four walls and a door that was always locked. I never knew where I was or the time. No sense of day and night, because to me they didn't exist. When I was moved, they blindfolded me, knocked unconscious if they were feeling charitable. They never told me why I was there or what was gonna happen to me. I never heard a sound from them until I escaped. I don't know what kind of monsters they were, but they weren't human."

The girl looks away as she trails off, a thoughtful expression gracing her weary face. She lies down on the bed, turning her back to him. She calls out to him after finding a comfortable spot to get into.

"You can stay if you want, I wouldn't mind it. I'll tell you what happened if you do."

Before he can say yes or no, he hears a whispered 'please' as the girl falls into a troubled sleep, only eased when he grabs a blanket to drape over her still form. His decision made, Kaidan sits down to wait.

**First I want to say thanks to my battle buddy who read the story and told me I had to put more up if not for her then orher readers. Love you boo! Second, I hope I'm not making Kaidan too OOC. I write him as I feel he would react in a situation like this, and if you think he would wouldn't do this or that when x or y happens feel free to speak up. I was wavering about posting, but take it as part one to this chapter and the next will be part two. Have fun reading!**


	4. The Wicked Dream of Wonderful Things

**As promised here is Part Two to the previous chapter. I hope you all enjoy the read at your leisure, I know I enjoyed reading it. I largely took parts from a previous incarnation of this story and edited it to fit in with this version you see before you. And if I might add I do a lot of research on details even if it's something small like the name of a weapon , someone's birthday or the color of a character's eyes. I like to try and be authentic as possible, it helps make the story feel more real. **

She wakes up in a field of flowers on the edge of a sea-side vista. The waves crash softly against a cliff, sending the smell of salt wafting through the air. On her body she's wearing a long white dress, built for the summer heat. The flowers are all white as well, daisies that add a pleasant smell to the morning air. The grass tickles her sensitive bare feet. The sky is as blue as she's ever seen it and the shining sun bright and cheery. After wandering around the field for awhile she picks a pile of daisies and sits near the cliff to weave together chains. The waves gently splashing onto the shore below soothe her and send waves of tranquility floating into the peaceful atmosphere. Seagulls fly past, soaring on the breeze and looking for something tasty to eat. They find it in the form of fish that swim a little too close to the surface; screeching happily the seagulls fly away to eat and savor their meal. For a moment the thought of how she got here crosses her mind but after a moment she brushes it away and continues entwining the daisies. Soon she makes enough to loop around her wrists, throat, and head, jewelry of the finest quality and a crown to boot. Nothing could ruin such a perfect day.

Getting bored now that this activity is done with she stands up and looks around. She spots a peculiarity that wasn't there before. A single red flower, in the middle of a patch of white. Further adding to the oddness is that this flower is a rose, and not a daisy like all the others. Step by step she walks towards it, hand held outstretched to pick it. The moment her hand touches the flower thorns pierce her hand and the rose turns to ash. She shouts at the sudden pain in her hand and cradles it close to her chest. With each drop of red a ripple of wind spreads outward, towards every other flower in the field. All the daisies turn to roses that drip blood from their stems. She notices the birds have gone silent, their cries of triumph no longer ringing in her ears. The wind has picked up, bringing in storm clouds that chase away the sun and blue sky. The sea turns angry, lashing itself against the cliff as if trying to reach her.

The flowers wrapped around her limbs crumble to ash and fly away with the wind. Rain now comes down in torrents, soaking her down to the bone and leaving nothing but misery in its wake. She cannot see but a few feet in front of her in any direction. The field now seems isolated and cut off from the rest of the surrounding area. Turning towards the edge of the field, the cliff at her back, she spots a dark figure. Wearing all black and cloaked in shadow it stands there, watching, waiting. She holds out her hand to it, pleading for help with eyes alone. Taking a step towards it the figure vanishes only to re-appear closer and closer with each flash of lightning from the storm. Kassie stumbles backwards until it materializes a step away. Nothing can be seen under the cloak except glowing red eyes.

The figure lifts up a clothed arm and points a solitary gloved finger in her direction. Voices fill her head, tendrils slithering about finding nooks and crannies to shout from. They are dry and scrape together like sandpaper on stone. They overwhelm her senses until she falls to the ground motionless, a figure in suspended animation. The whole vision goes dark, blacker than the void it came from.

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Kassie startles awake, feeling drained from a strange dream she doesn't remember and the long hours of sleep. She sits up in the hospital bed, propping herself up with a mountain of pillows. The man from the day before Kaidan is still there. He's covered in a blanket, sleeping in a chair next to her bed. She was happy he stayed, he was the one person she trusted to keep her safe especially after he rescued her from drowning. He seemed to be the kind of person to give you the shirt off his back from the little time she'd spent with him so far.

The sun shone in through the window, marking it as an early morning. Kassie yawned and started stretching, getting all her sore muscles moving and protesting such treatment. A knock at the door interrupts her morning ritual, simultaneously waking up Kaidan and startling her. A human female nurse opens the door, bringing with her a tray of food. She whispers good morning and sets the tray on the table attached to the bed before leaving to finish her rounds. Kassie perks up at the first bit of real food she can remember having in ages.

She spots an apple and devours it skin and all. Eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, oatmeal, all go down the hatch without a moments pause. A minute later she regrets eating so fast as the nausea sets in. She doesn't puke, but comes close several times. After everything is finished she looks up at Kaidan who is still shaking off the heaviness of sleep. She clears her throat, alerting Kaidan to the fact she too is awake.

"I promised you the rest of the story when I woke up, I'm awake now," She grins at the obviousness of her statement.

Kaidan nods his head and leans forward, gesturing for her to continue.

"Like I was saying last night, I never knew where I was. I remember more of what happened before that though, what they wanted. They were keeping me hidden for something big, I got impressions of someone they thought of as The Boss. A man they were waiting to take me to. They thought of me as nothing more than a payday, an object to keep in the dark until it was time to come out and play. They felt so cold, every time they grabbed me to put the blindfold on it was like taking a bath in ice water. It took hours to get warm again.

There was one day though, early in the beginning after I woke up, before those two creatures took me, that I thought was really strange. They left me in some sort of lab, whoever woke me up. I don't think they expected me to wander around, all the lights were off and I could hardly see my hand in front of my face. It was deserted, no one around but the security cameras. I think whoever was there went to sleep, everything was dimmed down but still on. There was a place though, a room I stumbled onto before I headed back to the one I'd left in case someone noticed I was gone. It was weird, like a surgical experimentation room but combined with so much more..."

_The room is almost a mirror image of hers, except it contains operating room equipment and research stations, computers and endless amounts of tech, the sort one would use on an injured person. A body lies on an operating table in the center of the room, unmoving and the source of all the beeps from the heart monitor. They come few and far between, struggling to keep a rhythm going. From what she could see Kassie thinks it's a woman, she looks like a badly sewn together jigsaw puzzle. She looks around the room for any sign of other people, but no one is around. She creeps closer, curiosity overcoming the flight instinct. There's something about this woman that feels important, something that needs to be unleashed._

_Rising up on the side of the table she sees a woman with carrot colored hair in a tight bun, eyes closed as if sleeping, machines forcing her chest to be rising and falling with long, slow, drawn out breaths, spaced far enough apart that you can hardly tell there's a breath at all. Tubes lead in and out of various veins, pumping in who knows what._

_"Why do they keep you here next to me? What did you do to be stuck here in this place, operated on like a lab animal?" Kassie whispers into the empty room._

_She reaches towards the woman and lightly touches her hand. Her skin is cold to the touch, as if the blood flow to her extremities had slowed down to a dangerously low level. Kassie feels energy start to flow through her into the area she is touching, causing it and her hand to glow with a dark golden light. It pulsates and dances, freeing itself to burrow under to whatever task it senses must be finished. On the monitor the heart rate becomes more steady, no longer a thready and weak pulse, but a stable beat that thumps loudly in her ears. The ragged breaths even out as well, strong and courageous as they should be. Kassie stares down in surprise and fascination at their shared mystery._

_"Who are you?"_

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"I ran back to my room before anyone saw me. I left just in time as not a minute later two people came into the room to check on the woman. I think they were in charge of the both of us, they were talking about making sure I was moved to the next secure location and that everything was on schedule for some sort of inspection by whoever was paying for everything on the subject, the woman on the table."

Kaidan couldn't believe what he was hearing. Whoever had kidnapped the girl was into some seriously illegal shit. Borderline black market from the sounds of it. Could be somewhere in the Terminus Systems, less risk of getting caught in a lawless section of space. He was about to ask a question when the next sentence from the mouth of the girl in front of him froze him to his chair.

"You wouldn't happen to know anyone by the name of Shepard, would you?"


End file.
